


white silk thread

by meteor-sword (vaenire)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29283936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaenire/pseuds/meteor-sword
Summary: Lu Ten was never any good at these poems
Relationships: Lu Ten/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9
Collections: Avatar Rarepair Exchange 2021





	white silk thread

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SorynJK](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorynJK/gifts).



The day before the solstice was a short day of study for Prince Lu Ten. Most of Caldera City took to home for the afternoon hours, preparing for solstice festivities and traditions with their families. 

The day before the solstice also landed on the day of the week when Lu Ten’s friend and study partner, Tianai, was due to spend the evening in the palace, and Lu Ten was looking forward to it as he sat in the palanquin on the way home. 

Lu Ten was nearing the end of his studies, less than a year away from when he expected to be able to leave his studies and go out into the real world and prove his worth as a prince. The only obstacle, in his mind, was his complete lack of literary ability-- he didn’t care for the subject, was all, and he  _ could _ memorize those poems if he  _ wanted _ \-- but it did serve as the perfect excuse to have Tianai over even more often. 

He sat in the garden waiting for his friend and observing the koi fish. 

“I knew I’d find you here,” came a voice some time later, as Tianai took a seat on the rock beside Lu Ten’s. Lu Ten looked up with a smile at his friend, and laughed when he saw the small pouch his friend had on his lap full of scraps from the kitchen. With a grin, he took a handful of it and threw it into the koi pond, and they watched the fish bob to the surface and gulp up the food. 

Another handful of food went into the water, and Lu Ten sat back on his hands to watch. 

Tianai had a soft face, softened further by the smile that presently dimpled his cheeks. His top knot never sat smoothly because his thick hair had just the barest wave to it, try as he might with a comb to smooth the hair slick. 

Tianai had been his sparring and studying partner since they had both been little, a match made by happy coincidence of a noble family having a son around Lu Ten’s age, and his parents being amenable to their son making regular visits to the Palace. They had grown up in each other’s pockets, and they knew more about each other than anyone else in the world did. 

As he emptied the bag into the water, the koi happily gulping all that they could, Lu Ten sprang to his feet. 

“Are you ready to spar?” he asked, settling into his beginning stance. Tianai sighed deeply in response-- typical, seeing as he always lost their matches. Today, Lu Ten could tell, he would come up with an excuse not to spar. 

“I hurt my ankle yesterday,” he said, and Lu Ten dropped his stance with an eye roll. 

“Really?” he asked, exasperated. Tianai nodded adamantly. Lu Ten rolled his eyes. 

“I guess there’s nothing else to do but study then, huh?” Tianai said hopefully. 

That was another thing. The son of noble scholars, Tianai had always preferred to read than to spar, while Lu Ten was somewhat the opposite. He liked the science and the math they were taught, but he couldn't care less for the literature courses, finding the classics to be stuffy and boring. Tianai, on the other hand, relished in studying poems and took to the required memorization like a fish to water or a dragon to the sky. He rolled his eyes at his own analogy. 

“Let’s go, then,” Tianai said, eagerly getting to his feet-- despite his ‘hurt ankle’, Lu Ten noticed, but chose not to comment on it. 

They fell into step on their way to Lu Ten’s quarters, and he hoped against seeing any of his family-- but luck was against them, as around the first corner in the corridors they came across a group of dour looking men, with none other than Lu Ten’s father in the middle of them. He made eye contact with his father and saw his face light up. 

“Boys!” he said, beckoning them over. As soon as he was within reach his dad was clapping him on the shoulder fondly. 

“Prince Iroh,” Tianai said with a bow, before Iroh was grabbing his shoulder and shaking it playfully, too. 

“I was hoping to run into you two, I would very much enjoy watching the two of you spar.” 

Tianai winced. 

“Sorry, Dad, Tianai got himself hurt,” Lu Ten explained. “We won’t be sparring this week.” He enjoyed the way Tianai’s wince only deepened when Iroh shook him by the shoulder again, a bit gentler, with a frown. 

“Again, Tianai? You are much more fragile than you look, my boy. I hope your family physician is looking into that.” 

Lu Ten had to look away to hide his smug grin as Tianai agreed. 

“Well, hopefully you will be all patched up before I leave. I don’t often have the chance to see how my boy’s training is going,” he said with another squeeze to Lu Ten’s arm. “Go on, then,” he said with a good natured wave of the hand. 

So with another bow they continued on their way to Lu Ten’s quarters, shoulders knocking as Tianai said, “I didn’t realize your father was in town.” 

Lu Ten gave a nod and a half shrug. “For the summer solstice,” he explained shortly. “Next year when he returns, I’ll go with him to the frontlines.” He nodded to the guards on either side of his door as they passed through and sighed when the door closed behind him. 

Tianai took a seat at Lu Ten’s desk, sitting sideways to watch Lu Ten cross to his window, leaning his palms on the sill. 

“You’re anxious to join him,” Tianai observed quietly. He nodded. “Well you’re not getting any closer to that by avoiding your studies. Come on, where are your books?” 

Lu Ten scoffed at the harsh pivot, crossing his arms and turning to lean his hip against the window sill instead. 

“I hurt my eyes yesterday,” he said mockingly. “I can’t study today.” Tianai glared at him, yet was unable to wipe the smile off his face. He stood, crossing his arms to mirror Lu Ten. 

“Really, Lu Ten, you need to take it more seriously.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Lu Ten responded. “I will,” he said, leaning into Tianai’s space and pressing a quick kiss to his mouth. Now Tianai scoffed, soft against Lu Ten’s lips. 

“ _ Seriously _ ,” Tianai repeated, but he was tilting his head to the side, hands coming up to hold Lu Ten’s elbows as he cupped his friend’s face, smiling against his mouth. 

“I will, I promise.” 

Tianai’s protests died for the moment as he leaned up to slot their mouths together, Lu Ten all but sitting on the window sill now, his back against the glass. 

He sighed against Tianai’s neck, earning a shiver. “When I’m Fire Lord,” he said against the soft skin. “I’ll have you on my council.” He pressed a kiss there. “Then I won’t have to learn all of this stuff.” 

Tianai let out a surprised yelp of laughter, shoving against Lu Ten’s shoulder once more. “That’s so weird,” he said when Lu Ten turned onto his back, leaving almost a whole inch between them. “I just can’t see you as Fire Lord. You’re just… Lu Ten.” 

He propped his head up on his elbow, peering at his friend. “What’s that mean?” 

Tianai shrugged, looking away. “I don’t know. You’re just  _ you _ .” 

“Well,” Lu Ten said, “When I come back from the navy, maybe you’ll think differently.” 

“Maybe,” Tianai agreed with a half smile. “But you won’t be going anywhere if you don’t memorize these poems.” 

Lu Ten groaned. “You’re really not letting me off the hook?” he asked, earning a smack on the shoulder. 

“How would  _ I _ let you off the hook? It’s not me deciding if you’ve passed or not.” 

“You’re right,” Lu Ten sighed. “If only there was something to make it just a little more memorable.” He looked at Tianai out of the corner of his eye. 

“What are you suggesting,” he asked, deadpan. 

“Maybe if I earned something for remembering a line, I’d do a little better?” 

Tianai squinted at him, but couldn’t help the smile growing on his face. “Fine. You remember a line, and you’ll earn… a kiss.” 

Lu Ten grinned, before realizing that that still meant he had to  _ study _ . 

“Well?” Tianai said smugly. “Let’s hear it.” 

The smile froze on Lu Ten’s face, growing thinner as he scowled. He grabbed the book from Tianai’s hand and sat up, hunching his shoulders dramatically. 

“Give me an hour,” he said sulkily, flipping the book open at random. 

But when Tianai laughed and sat up as well, throwing an arm over Lu Ten’s shoulder and leaning his cheek there to read with him, Lu Ten couldn’t keep the smile off his face. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! I've only written about Lu Ten once before, and never with a romantic tilt so this was fun and new for me! I hope you liked my characterization of him, and that you liked Tianai!
> 
> I envisioned Tianai like a young Jet Li, btw. 
> 
> Title from ‘Written in Prison During the Lantern Festival, To the One I am Thinking of’ by Gong Dingzi


End file.
